MUMBAI: Nielsen Business Media has promoted three executives to senior leadership roles within the organization’s recently created Entertainment Group.

The new team includes: Howard Appelbaum, who was named vice president/publisher of Billboard; Eric Mika, who was promoted to vice president/publisher of The Hollywood Reporter; and Andrew Bilbao, who was tapped as vice president/chief operating officer, Entertainment Group. The executives report to Nielsen Entertainment Group senior vice president Gerry Byrne.

The establishment of Nielsen Business Media’s Entertainment Group brings together the company’s leading entertainment brands into one powerful unit. It allows the company to take a more comprehensive approach to serving the entertainment industry and more effectively harness the resources of its music, film, TV, literary and theater brands.

The group includes Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Back Stage, Kirkus Reviews, The Bookseller, Film Journal International, and the film industry expositions ShoWest, ShowEast, Cinema Expo International and CineAsia Exposition. On 1 March, industry veteran Byrne began leading the integrated, global unit, with responsibility for driving growth across digital, print and face-to-face platforms.

"In addition to expanding the market leadership position of our individual brands, these exceptional executives are charged with driving innovation and integration across our entertainment portfolio to ensure our businesses are unified, competitive and successful in all areas. Howard and Eric’s strong cross-platform, digital and global entertainment experience are invaluable to this leadership team. Andy brings a high-level of knowledge and experience in all aspects of business — publishing, strategic planning, sales, marketing and finance — all of which are essential to our continued success," said Byrne.

"This is an exciting time for the business of entertainment and I couldn’t be more pleased to be working with such extraordinary talent as we forge new ground for Nielsen and the industry," he added.

In addition to Appelbaum, Mika and Bilbao, Byrne’s Entertainment Group leadership team includes Jeff Black, vice president and general manager of Back Stage, and Bob Sunshine, vice president of the Film Exposition Group.